Her Forgotten Sacrifice
by IAmTheStars
Summary: No one remembers her. No one remembers her face, her innocence, her importance. No one remembers her love, the sacrifice she made to save one small, insignificant child. She was cast out, cursed to never be remembered by those she touched with her grace, inspired with her words, and protected with her might. All because of one little boy, she was erased from time and forgotten.
1. Prologue: Neverending Nightmare

**Soooooooo... Yeah. Some people who follow me are probably wondering what unholy demon possessed to start yet another story. That demon would be called the diabolical plot bunny and it has been tormenting me for months on end. Please understand that I have tried with every fiber of my being to ignore it, to push it away- I even considered calling a priest, but to no avail. I lost the battle and have been forced to write this here prologue for you. Please forgive me, but I couldn't handle this plot bunny tormenting my poor soul any longer.**

**This is actually A story I posted on here a super long time ago when my writing was horrible, but only got about three chapters in because of reasons I don't even care to remember. Reading it was absolute torture, but the plot I had with it still sounded promising and reawakened a spark inside me. So I decided to delete, HEAVILY edit, rewrite, and re-upload. Hopefully, this time things will turn out much better! **

**This will be a Link/OC story, as well as a girl from our world gets dumped into Hyrule story which I know many readers must be tired of and dislike. This is my own take on it and I'm adding my own twists and turns that I'm hoping at least a few people will appreciate. I should also warn that the updates may be slow because I have so many other projects happening right now, so please bare with me. **

**If you DON'T like any of the things that I have stated above, then please DON'T read this fic instead of reading and sending me flaming reviews. I have had enough of them come my way and unless they contain something constructive, they will be ignored. But, if you do like these things, then PLEASE read on and PLEASE leave a review. Tell me if you're interested and is you think this is worth continuing. **

**Read On! **

* * *

For as long as I can remember I have had the same recurring dream.

I never see the beginning, nor the end. I am always somewhere in the middle of time, never knowing exactly how this nightmare started or how it will conclude. I am surrounded by burning buildings in the night. The sound of broken homes and screams of horror fill my ears. Out of the corners of my eyes I see angry flames consuming helpless victims, filling the air with the smell of burnt flesh. Smoke is filling my lungs, and tears well in my eyes from the sting. _(What is this horrible place?)_ I stumble around, the grounds sharp pebbles digging into my bare feet painfully, but the pain hardly registers in my frantic mind as I run. There is so much terror coursing through my veins, so much pain and panic, but these feelings are not for my own life. No, they're for the small life in my hands. Suddenly, the weight in my arms becomes too much and I collapse from exhaustion. My feelings unspeakable fear are for the unconscious, bleeding child in my arms- a young boy who looks no older than eight years of age. He is so close to death.

_(Who is he?)_

I cradle him in my arms, trying to protect him from the raging war around us. I try to whisper comforts and sweet nothings over the chaos surrounding us, though I know they fall upon deaf ears. I can't let him die. He is too precious, too innocent to suffer the way he is.

Though many would disagree, my life isn't even worth a fraction of his in my eyes. How could I have let this happen?

I can never figure out why, but in this dream I would give anything for this peculiar boy. He means so much to me, more than my life. I lift my small hand to stroke his bruised and bleeding face, brushing the singed and blackened strands of hair out of his eyes.

"Please don't leave me," I whisper hoarsely while rocking us back and forth, "Stay here. I will protect you. I promise... I promise..." My voice sounds so exhausted and raspy from the smoke, but still young; a child's voice.

He's fading, fading fast. I cry out and desperately shake his fragile body, but he to no avail. His eyes do not open (_I wonder what color they are_) and his breathing remains shallow. Sobs are escaping my body by now, the anguish in my chest becoming unbearable. (_Why?_)

He is too close to death, no ordinary medicine could save him now. But there is one thing, one extraordinary thing _(What?)._ A last resort, but he is worth it. He is worth every thing I could lose, every bit of pain I will receive for doing such a thing. I am exhausted, a unfamiliar sensation that I have felt so few times in my time. All my body wants to do I collapse _but no_, I push it back and remind myself that this is for him. I am willing to give anything to him.

Even my life.

_(Why?)_

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light shines through the devastation. It's so bright, so powerful that I have to look away, further cradling the boy into me as I bury my face into his hair. After a few moments of silence I look up to see three beautiful women standing before me. Familiarity fills me and my eyes widen with recognition. _(How could I know these women?)_. Beautiful is an unfair word to describe these goddesses. They look so different from each other, but I know they are sisters. Such relief fills me at the sight of their heavenly forms because _they're here, they've come to save us!_ I almost smile. I open my mouth to ask them, to beg them to help me save this precious boy. But with one look at their faces, that relieving moment is over.

I look to the first one hopefully, pleading with my eyes for her to understand, but her eyes only reflect disappointment, like a mother whose child has gone astray. I can see such sorrow in her startling blue eyes, and one tear escapes them. It travels slowly down her ebony cheek before landing on her chest, staining the blue dress she wears. I am startled. She rarely shows emotion like this. I have broken her seemingly unbreakable heart.

_(Who is she?)_

Betrayal and hurt are etched into the face of the second woman. Her delicate eyebrows furrow together and her green eyes are brimming with tears, so unlike the lively and beautiful woman she is. I've let her down the most, I know it. I have broken a precious promise to a dear friend. She looks away from me, shielding her face behind her long silky hair. Such shame fills me. I reach out, trying to touch the hem of her green gown and beg forgiveness, but she is quick to avoid my touch.

"_Please,_" I beg, but her eyes never return to me.

_(How do I know this woman?) _

I can't to look at her any longer so I turn away, the guilt proving too much for me to bare.

I look to the last woman before me, hoping in vain that she will help me, but looking at her manifests different feelings with me; feelings of apprehension, hurt, anger, _betrayal. _

All of my hope diminishes.

She looks at me with so much hate, so much _anger_ burning in her amber eyes, I can't even begin to explain the fear that suddenly courses through my veins. Her very being exudes power, dominance, and seductive beauty, qualities that I could never hope to match. She shakes her head slowly, causing her wild red hair to sway and resemble the fire that still rages around us. I feel so powerless next to her, so weak and broken. I am nothing next to her.

_(Why does she hate me?)_

"What have you done, Axel?" She asks quietly and slowly. Her is deep and low, yet every syllable is laced with unbridled fury.

"..._What have you done?"_

* * *

**I know it's not much, but I have some pretty big ideas for this story! Tell me what you like, don't like and what I could improve on. I honestly can't say enough how much your feedback means to me. It always helps and encourages me to become a better writer. **

**Thank you for reading! :)**

**-IAmTheStars **

**I don't own LOZ. **


	2. Falling Into Darkness

**Hey! I finally got around to writing the first chapter! Woo-Hoo! :D **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

I hate that dream.

I hate the fear that it brings me, the feelings of despair and betrayal. I hate those beautiful women. I hate how I feel love and heartbreak for a child that I have never even met.

I have only told a few people about this dream in my seventeen years of living. Once, a supposed psychic at a street fair told me it was a vision of a past life, or my life in another alternate dimension. She then proceeded to charge me an extra ten bucks because the clarity of her revelation.

A priest once said it was God's way of punishing me for my sins. Though, I can't fathom what sins a five year old could have committed to recieve such a punishment.

At school, the counselor said it was my brains way of rationalizing my not knowing where I come from, but nothing in that dream seems rational to me. I have been told by many of my caretakers that it's my imagination, but how could such a young girl imagine such a terrifying thing? It's too vivid, too mature for any child to imagine on her own.

_What could it possibly be?_

I lay down for hours upon hours every night, wondering why my mind thinks of such things, why I dream up such graphic and frightening images over and over _and over_ again, but I never come up with an answer. As much as I wish I could, I never do. Maybe that psychic wasn't the total nut case I originally thought her to be.

_Ten dollars._

No, no she definitely was.

Even now, as I lay in my bed in my cramped room, no answers come to me.

I turn my head to see what time it is and curse. My digital clock tells me it's 2:33 am, several hours before any normal human being should be up. I don't really mind, though. I have never been an easy sleeper. I wish I was. I'll bet it feels great to get a full nights sleep.

I try to go back to sleep. I toss and turn, then toss some more, but it's not happening. The room feels so over crowded and stuffy and all I want to do is get out. I sigh and lift myself from my too warm bed and slip on some clothes. My room is small, so small in fact that it only takes a few strides of my short legs to reach my door and gently open it. Careful not to wake anybody else in our vast and echoey home, I tip toe in my hiking boots out of my room.

The cool air of the hallways are a welcoming change from the stuffy air of my room, causing goosebumps to rise on my bare arms and legs. I slowly creep through the dark and spacious hallways. The large windows let in moonlight and create shadows that I try to ignore, but the occasional hand shaped tree branch from outside makes me jump as I turn some corners. I travel through the large mansion that is the orphan girls home that I live in, through more halls and down stairways before I finally reach the back door. I swing my backpack on my shoulders and walk out of the mansion and into the vast woods that reside behind it.

* * *

The woods I trek through sounds with whimsical noises from all the crickets and night birds that live in it. From the squeaking rodents to the sound of the bubbling stream nearby, no place here is ever silent, even in the middle of the night. I need no flashlight to see, the bright full moon lighting the path in front of me. Besides, I could probably navigate these woods with my eyes closed. I'm munching on a large apple as a walk along the secret path, the one I have never told any other girl about. Most of the other girls would probably be too frightened to walk these woods with me at night, but even as a child, the dark forest has never scared me much. As a matter of fact, away from the busy home and in the woods is where I feel most at peace.

I reach a small clearing in the woods, one that I visit often. It's full of wildflowers, fireflies, and tall grass that tickles my bare legs as I stroll by, making it look enchanting. I breath deeply, enjoying the fresh smells of flowers and clean air. I set my pack down and sit near the stream that passes through, loving the sound of it's constant bubbling and splashing against rocks. The bright moonlight peeking through the clearing is all the I see as I smile softly and lay on my back, slowly drifting...

* * *

_SNAP_

I bolt upright. Stars burst in front of my eyes and I'm winded and lightheaded from the sudden movement. It's still dark out, so I couldn't have been sleeping for very long.

I rub the sleep out of my eyes before looking around me. The moon offers enough light for me to see somewhat clearly, but I don't see any immediate danger. Still something feels off. I shiver. _It's quiet,_ I realize,_ Too quiet. _All the fireflies have gone.

_SNAP_

I hear more twigs break in the distance. There is something bigger than rodents or birds nearby. _A deer? A raccoon? A-_

A deep, menacing growl interrupts my thoughts.

_That's not a deer._

I hear another growl, closer than the last. _Oh my God,_ Panic rises in my throat and I fight the urge to puke.

_What is it? A wolf? A cougar?_

I look around frantically while my mind goes into panic mode, imagining all the ways I could be brutally murdered out here. No one would know, no one would find my body. My eyes start playing tricks on me, turning branches into snakes and bushes into menacing black bears. I grab my bag and crouch behind the large rock I was sleeping against, hoping to hide myself from whatever hungry beast wants to eat me. I peeking over the rock behind me, I see a shadow lurk in the dark shade of the trees, one that I can't clearly make out.

All I see are red eyes. _Red?_

I hear another growl. This one sounds so much closer.

I shrink behind my rock and slap a hand over my mouth, forcing myself not to scream.

_What the hell is that?_

I silently send a frantic prayer to anyone or anything who will listen, tears trickling down my face. I reach into my bag and pull out my swiss army knife, one that I stole from a girl I didn't like, my only weapon. I clutch onto it with vice like fists, but it does nothing to stop the trembling blade. My breathing is sounding too loud in my ears, so I stop breathing all together, holding my breath to contain the sobs in the back of my throat.

I grip my knife tightly in both of my hands. My fingers hurt and my knuckles I'm sure are paperwhite. I hear more footsteps- large footsteps, make their way across my meadow.

_THUMP._

_THUMP._

_THUMP._

_THUMP._

The red eyed shadow can only be a few feet away from my hiding spot, but I can't move. I'm frozen. I'm petrified, _Please move..._

_THUMP._

_THUMP._

_THUMP._

Suddenly, Silence.

Silence.

And more silence.

I'm squeezing my eyes shut, but tears still manage to escape them. Maybe if I close them tight enough, I will dissapear. Like when I was child. When I didn't want to be found. Like when-

_It's so quiet, _I suddenly realize.

_Is it gone?_

_Am I safe?_

I let out a shaky breath and open my eyes.

_Oh God,_

Its large snout is the first thing I see. Then the midnight black fur surrounding it. Then its eyes, its glowing red eyes. It's crouching in front of me and baring its teeth, barely a foot away from me. I feel it's rancid breath on my face, confirming that this is not in my imagination.

This threat is very real.

It glares at me with its teeth bared, sniffing, undoubtedly smelling my fear that is desperately trying to escape me.

A choked sob escapes my throat.

It roars in my face, making my braid swing wildly behind me. It's spit lands on my face and it's teeth barely graze my nose. I let out an ugly shriek and blindly slash with my knife _(Stupid idea) _but I don't bother to look where I hit. I only feel a tug and pull and I know my blade has struck its target. It howls in pain, a sound that echoes through the whole wood, and that's when my fight or flight finally kicks in.

My body chooses flight. I bolt, not even knowing which direction I am headed. As long as it's away from this nightmare.

I'm try to be silent as I escape, but I can't hold in the terrified sobs that escaped my throat. My legs burn, but my terror doesn't allow me to stop. I blindly weave through the trees while more and more tears blur my vision. My breath is ragged, my hand aches from clutching my pocketknife and my limbs are begging me to stop, but I can hear it following me, I can feel the ground shake as it's heavy limbs give chase. It's gaining on me, it's gaining on me and I scream at myself for not being faster, for being so unfit and now _I'm going to die oh God I'm going to die-_

I trip over something, _a branch, a rock, who knows? _And suddenly I am falling, my face making contact with the ground at a steep decline. I roll down the hill forever, every part of my body being banged, cut, battered and bruised. I hear myself yelp whenever I make contact with the unforgiving rocks. After what seems like eternity I land on the hard (_but even_) ground. There is an anguished cry coming from somewhere, muted only by the intense ringing in my ears. But as the ringing fades, the anguish only gets louder. It takes my entirely too long to realize that the cry in coming from my own mouth. Every part of my body is pulsating with pain. Excruciating. My head is pounding, my ankle feels like it's been warped, but nothing is worse the agonizing pain in my right side. I bring my hand to touch it. I feel hot liquid; blood. There is so much blood. Everywhere. Panic rises in me. I look down and with the light of the moon I see red expanding across my white shirt. And my knife. My knife is no longer in my hand.

It's in my side. Right in between my ribs, I think.

I touch it. I'm trying to pull it out, but I think all I'm doing is screaming in agony, though I can't be sure because of the pounding in my head. So much blood. So much horrible pain. _I can't_. Everything is blurry. Everything is spinning. _I've landed on my own knife. _I can't breathe. I can't focus on anything.

I can;t focus on anything, until I see red eyes.

It's back. Only, this time it's standing on two legs. This time the wolfish creature stands tall, towering above me. It starts stalking towards me. Its razor sharp claws are poised to to strike, to kill. Its teeth shine in the moonlight, its bloodied eye leaking.

"NO!" I cry. I try to stand and run, but I can't even make it to my knees. "Please," I beg as if I can reason with this creature. My sobs convulse my body and any power of speech has left me. I'm hopeless, _I'm going to die._

"_Please,_" I whisper weakly.

The wolf only growls louder. It pulls back its paw, ready to strike me. I close my eyes. I wait.

_Please be quick._

_Please be painless._

The wolf's howls of distress cause my eyes to snap open. I see an arrow lodged into the side of the monster, then another, then another and I let out an involuntary cry of relief. The creature falls to the ground. It's is weak. It's injured.

This is my chance. I need to get out.

I don't even try to look for the owner of the arrows, my possible savior because _I need to get out NOW. _I pull myself up by the trunk of a tree, but not without letting out another anguished scream. I try to run, though I'm pretty sure I'm doing nothing more than a pathetic limp. I move forward. The pain is too much. Then I move a little more. _Why is the ground spinning?_ A few steps more.

My breath catches in my throat, and it's so painful because my body is telling me _No no no no breathe! We need air... we need air..._

_I can't-_

* * *

The dark forest became quiet. The wolfos howls ceased. The girls cries suddenly were silenced. The tall hooded figure emerges from the shadows of the wood and into the moonlight. He fastened his bow onto his back before looking around, searching for the fallen form of the girl. He takes long strides forward, stepping over the large monsters body without making so much as a whisper of sound. He doesn't stop to check to see if the beast is actually dead as he reclaims his arrows. He is sure of his aim.

He finds the girl's body, and for a moment he is sure she is dead and feels the slightest bit panicked, but the labored sounds of her unconscious breathing prove him otherwise.

_This can't be it, _He thinks.

How could this be the person he was sent to retrieve? She is so small, so weak. She couldn't even defend herself from her own knife, let alone a wolfos. How could she be the one?

He sighs sharply, feeling more than a little bitter at being taken so far off his path by a reckless girl in strange, scant clothing.

He kneels down to inspect her wounds. They will have to wait until he can get her to a more secure location to be treated properly. He gingerly picks her short frame up with ease, being careful to avoid touching the knife sticking out of her side. She whimpers like a child _(She probably is, _He thinks, _She looks no older than sixteen.) _and another tear escapes her closed eye. He stops and looks down at her, hoping that she won't wake. She doesn't. Her face is covered in sweat and her hair no longer resembles a braid, if that what it even was before.

No, she can't be the one. He'll treat her wounds, get her to safety then carry on with his search. She is definitely not the one.

Or so he thought, until her hand twitched. He looks towards it, placed gingerly on her stomach, and gasps at what he sees. Bewilderment fills him and he nearly drops the girl.

A very strange marking.

An upside down golden triangle in the middle of her hand.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoy it so far. **

**Please leave a review! It really makes my writing worthwhile when I get feedback. It means so much. :)**

**-IAmTheStars**


	3. Staring Stranger

**Thank you to everyone who is following this story and giving it a chance!**

**And a special thank you to Zetra Shink for reviewing! Honestly, it means so much. :)**

* * *

The smell of smoke and the sound of crickets awaken me.

My eyes open to the sight of starlight peeking through tree tops. _Wow. _My entire left side feels warm and I see a small fire burning in my peripheral vision. My body feels heavy, numb... It's so warm and inviting, so cozy….

My eyelids become heavier and begin to droop once more.

_Wait._

_How did I get here? ...Where is here?_

_….What the hell happened to me?_

I twitch, and suddenly everything is pain. My head hurts so bad and every muscle is on fire. I need to remember _something_, but all of my thoughts are a jumbled mess. _Think harder! Why can't I remember?_ Tears start leak from my eyes in panic and frustration but my arms feel too heavy to wipe them away. Why does my body hurt so much?

_Think!_

I retrace my steps. I left the home. I remember going to the meadow. I fell asleep. Something woke me. _What?_ I was being chased, hunted. Feeling so scared and hopeless. What was following me?

…The wolf. I remember now. The giant towering wolf and it's red eyes. More tears escape my eyes at the horrifying memory. Or was it a hallucination? I hurt it, then ran for my life. I ran and I ran. I tripped and fell. Far. Everything hurt.

I remember the knife in my side and o_h God, am I dead?_

My whole body jerks at them memory and inhale sharply when pain erupts on my right side. _Is being dead supposed to hurt this much?_ I look down. The knife isn't there any more. Instead, my shirt had been torn, exposing my stomach and my tightly bandaged rib cage. _Where did those come from__? Where is the wolf? Who brought me here? Something is missing!_

I touch the area where blood is leaking through the cloth bandage. _Bad idea._ The pain is so sharp, so excruciating that I nearly double over, but my body feels like a thousand pounds. I press my hand tightly over my mouth to prevent the screams from escaping, not wanting to alert anything or anyone to my position, wherever it may be. I notice that my right wrist has also been bandaged, along with my now shoeless ankle. I gently pull at the white cloth binding the wound on my torso while still biting the knuckles of my other hand, wanting to fully asses the damage done to my body. I'm scared at what I might find.

"I wouldn't."

My entire body freezes at the sound of the unexpected voice. A male voice. I very slowly turn my head and see a figure across the fire, sitting on blankets similar to the ones I am laying on, leaning on the tree behind him. My eyes widen. Most of his face is obscured by a green hood only exposing his sharp jawline to the firelight. His mouth is set in a straight line, looking a little grim and extremely intimidating.

All I do is stare at him like an idiot with my mouth open, ready to scream, but my voice seemed to lose itself between my brain and my lips. My loud, shaky breathing is the only sound that leaves me. I'm too frightened to do anything else but stare at the striking figure across from me like an idiot. Though I can't see them, I can feel his eyes piercing into mine, studying me, probably trying to guess my next move. I sit up slowly, never taking my eyes away from his ominous form, heroically succeeding in not screaming at my torsos protest.

Once I'm upright, I freeze once again. I don't know what the hell I am supposed to do. I'm so scared. I can't run, I have a hole in my side and I am in a unknown forest with an unknown staring stranger. An escaped tear falls from my face and lands on my chest, stinging whatever scratch was inflicted during my tumble down the hill. _ When did I start crying? _More tears slide down my face, but I don't bother to wipe them away. I can't. I'm petrified.

Suddenly he moves, swiftly lifting himself from the ground in one fluid movement and starts to make his way towards me. His boot clad feet don't make a sound as they hit the ground, moving expertly across the foliage. I scoot myself back away from the stranger, my fright giving my sore limbs the strength to try and escape from his approaching frame. I pathetically whimper at the pain in my side, but I can't stop moving away from him. He's obviously going to do something terrible to me. The tree hitting into my back is preventing me from moving and further, but I'm already exhausted from my meager movements. More and more panic starts to bubble in my stomach and my breathing becomes more labored. _What does he want? He's going to kill me. Oh my god, I'm going to die._

I cower into the tree and shield my tear streaked face with my arms in a lame attempt to shield myself from him.

"Please. Please don't," I sound so small, "St-stay away!"

My voice makes him stop. He slowly lifts his hands, showing no weapon, nothing he could hurt me with. He takes another silent step towards me.

"No!" I try to sound stronger, remembering that lesson back in school on how not to get kidnapped and/or raped. _"Don't make yourself look like a potential victim. Stand straight and absolute. Do not look weak." _

_I am epicly failing, _I realize.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

I don't believe him. The adrenaline I feel in my veins is enough to make my quickly shoot to my feet and make a run for it. How? I have no damn clue. I have no idea where to go and I (_Stupidly?_) don't care. I just need to get away from this unknown man and out of this terrible forest and back to the girls home. Someone there will help me.

I almost get excited at going back. Almost.

But then, I feel one strong arm snake its way around my waist, carefully avoiding my wound while another wraps itself tightly across my shoulders.

"No!" I cry but his large hand quickly covers my mouth. I struggle against his hard chest, screaming through his hand, but to no avail. I try to bite into his hand, but my teeth do little damage to the leather protecting his fingers. He simply drags me back to the tree I was cowering against and pushes my back against its trunk, effectively pinning me. He manages to pin both my arms against my chest and still keep my mouth covered but I still cry against it. I try to yank my arms out of his vice like grip, my mind imagining all the horrid things this formidable man could to me.

_Rape, torture, kidnapping, murder-_

He harshly hushes me with a hard jerk that painfully shakes my whole body.

"I am not going to hurt you, but you have to stay quiet!" His gravelly voice has taken a harsher tone. He sounds supremely irritated. His eyes quickly scan the forest surrounding us, a flash of panic is his eyes, but that is quickly concealed. That scares me even more, enough to actually do what he tells me. Once he confirms the area has remained undiscovered -no thanks to me- he returns his glare to me.

"I'm going to remove my hand now, but you cannot scream. Do you hear me?" No answer. I just stubbornly look away, trying to look defiant, but in all actuality I'm just trying to hide the pure terror I'm sure is being displayed on my face. "I won't remove it until you promise," He adds. I continue to avoid his gaze, but after several minutes I realize that he really means it. I slowly return my eyes to him, and nod my head.

He slowly removes his hand from my face, the warning in his eyes telling me to keep the promise I was currently thinking of breaking. I realize his hood has been removed, probably from my wild thrashing in his arms. His features I notice are very sharp and defined, everything slightly angled upward, _Like a wolf, _I think. His sharp jawline and cheekbones and defined nose look like they could cut your finger just from poking them. His hair is wild, thick, choppy and astoundingly messy, sticking out in every direction and angle, adding to his predatory look with the way his fringe brushes over his eyes. His eyes, which are angular and predatory, are framed with thick, dark lashes are an alarming shade of cobalt blue. They stare me down, practically daring me to try and run again. I don't, too scared of the consequences that may follow. _I'm such a coward._

I should stop staring. What if it makes him angry? _I think he's already angry. He's probably going to kill me now._

My mind briefly remembers the nickname a social worker once gave me:

"_Anxiety Girl! Able to leap to the worst conclusion in a single bound!"_

I now realize she wasn't too far off the mark.

"I need to change your bandages." His gravely voice interrupts my death filled musings.

_Wait, so no killing? _I think, but as soon as that comforting thought eases my mind, another terrifying scenario emerges because _absolutely NOT there is no way I am exposing my torso for this strangely dressed weirdo-man in the middle of some woods that seem to be infested by mutant wolves and-_

"You've reopened your wound," He cuts off the frantic shaking of my head. "I'll try to make it painless, but you really have no choice unless you want to bleed to death." I feel like this is some sort of off putting way of his to comfort me, but I don't really think it's working. In fact, it's really not. I shake my head frantically.

"Please," He is obviously trying sound softer, but his tone it still rough around the edges and laced with annoyance at my stubbornness. "I promise, it won't take long."

I still don't answer, but I force my body to stop trembling in his grip. Apparently, that's answer enough for him. He slowly releases my wrists and stands to his full height before me, much taller than I had anticipated and easily dwarfing my short frame. With my hysteria _slightly_ ebbed, I actually study at him as he returns to his side of the fire to collect something or another. His clothing certainly is strange, from his brown leggings and green tunic to the darker green cloak on his shoulders, he certainly looked he fell out of a fantasy novel of some sort. _  
_

_Oh, good. He's a CRAZY__ weirdo-man._

I'd probably shouldn't ask no matter how much I want to, seeing as possibly insulting the only thing in this goddamn forest keeping me alive wouldn't really work out in my favor.

"I'm going to look at your side first." He informs me as he set supplies down on the ground in front of me. His's kept his voice soft and somewhat soothing, albeit the tone still sounds a bit forced.

"No," My mouth blurts before I can stop it.

"I'm trying to help you." He rises to his full height in front of me again, looking down with disapproval clear on his features.

"I don't care!" The fear is rising again. "I can do that part myself!"

"Can you now?" The sarcasm in his voice in not appreciated, "Have you ever treated a stab wound before?"

"N-No."

"Do you care about an infection?" He counters.

"I... Well I-"

I can't find an argument to counter. It's times like these where it's really hard being a borderline hypochondriac.

He looks to my abdomen before looking back at me, silently asking for permission with his eyes, but I'm under the impression that I might not really have a choice. But I guess it's somewhat kind of him to offer me the illusion.

He reaches for the hem of my now ruined -and leaking- bandages, but my hand snaps up and wraps itself around his wrist, effectively startling us both. My mind starts to go to that panicked state again, where rape and murder are at the forefront. I'm in a strange place filled with strange creatures with a strange stranger in strange clothes and-

"It's okay." He says, his features softening, "I'm not going to hurt you."

I don't trust him.

_He did save you._

How the hell can I be sure of that?

_How else would you still be breathing?_

I... still don't trust him.

_You are in an incredible amount of pain._

I don't care!

_It could get infected._

I kind of care. But not that much.

_But-_

Shut up!

His arm twitches in my hand and pulls me out of my inner dialogue with my (probably) more sensible self. I give him a suspicious once over, noticing that there are no weapons on him that I can see. There is some more cloth bandages, a bowl of water, and another bowl containing some kind of red salve on the ground next to us. There in no hostile look on his face or any look of ill content, just slight annoyance and….. bewilderment?

I think I've been staring a lot longer than I realize.

He quickly slips his hand out of my feeble grasp with a sigh, but before I can freak out he replaces it with something else.

My Swiss. The one that I impaled myself with not that long ago. My only weapon.

I snatch it out of his hand with surprising speed and eject the blade, instantly feeling safer. It contains no bloodstain, no indication that it had gouged the eyeball of a feral animal or impaled a human being. It just glints dangerously in the firelight. Well, at least dangerously to me, but when I look to his hardened face, he's just studying it impassively, like it holds no real threat to him.

Ah, another illusion.

_How kind of him,_ my mind deadpans.

My safe feeling dissipates and suddenly as it appeared, but I don't lessen my grip on the handle. I hold it in a white knuckled grip as he slowly pulls me away from the tree and back to my small bed of blankets. He settles on his knees in front of me while I sit with my injured ankle stretched out in front of me. He once again reaches for the hem of the cloth and with no small amount of self control I don't stop him this time, my fear of making the injury worse than it already is outweighing my distrust of him... But not by much

I look away at this point, all of my discomfort, anxiety, and humiliation no doubt on full display. My knife wielding hand begins to tremble and I'm crying again. I feel the tug and pull as he unties my bandages, white hot pain flaring up with every nudge. I sniffle, trying to keep my crying as silent as possible.

"I'm sorry." He tells me quietly as he works, but I don't look his way. "I know how much this can hurt."

"Do you?" I may later cringe at my sarcastic, bitchy tone, but I can't really help sounding like a brat right now. The extreme pain I am feeling mixed with the situation I find myself in has made me more than a little bitter. I hate him.

But he just replies, "I do." without missing a beat.

Now I look at him. _What did he mean by that?, _I wonder. He is still intensely focused on my torso, his brow furrowed in concentration as he cleans gash in my side, the cool water helping to lessen the heat emanating from it. My eyes move from his face to my side, craning my neck a bit to do so. I instantly regret. The bleeding has stopped- for the most part, but the skin surrounding the hole is an angry red and puffy before fading into a sickly yellow. I instantly look away and suppress a gag. It may or may not have been leaking something that isn't blood, _a__nd the smell._

"You're lucky you didn't pierce any vital organs." He tells me, still focused on my wound. _You, _he says, because I stabbed _myself _like an idiot. I roll my eyes, though I I'm not sure if I'm rolling them at my own stupidity, or at his ill concealed condescending tone. Probably both.

The salve he uses is a miracle. I don't know what's in it or what causes the cooling effect, rendering my entire side numb, but I can't help the sigh that escapes my lips as he applies it, my trembling tears lessening as the pain dissipates. In fact, without the pain, the adrenaline seems to face and realize how sleepy I am.

"I don't need stitches?" I ask tiredly when he reaches for the bandages, unsuccessfully trying to keep my eyes open.

"No. The potion will seal your skin together."

Something about that statement strikes me as weird, but my drowsiness is keeping me from looking further into it, though the little voice in the back of my mind is telling me how stupid I am for ignoring it, _but I'm so tired._ From the relief in my side to the adrenaline wearing off, my body has become relaxed and extremely tired, my knife hand now lying limply in my lap. My mind starts to wander to other things it's more relaxed state, like how embarrassing it is to be wearing my short-shorts and having my shirt torn up to my boobs while in front of a guy, baring my very soft and prominent tummy pouch and thick thighs I have never been able to shave off, many thanks to my coffee, sugar cereal, and Nutella addictions.

Yep. Super embarrassing.

_Am I blushing?_

"What's your name?" He asks as he fastens new bandages around me.

_My name?_

I must have a dumb look on my face because he just looks annoyed again when I don't answer.

"Look, I promise I'm not going to hurt you," He huffs. He looks up at me now, having finished tying the cloth. "I just want something to call you."

My voice is lost again.

_It's okay. He's helping you._

Can I trust him with my name?

_What's the worst he could do with it?_

I… I don't know.

_It's okay to tell him._

Don't tell me what to do!

He sighs and instead focuses on my other injuries, giving up on me after several moments of my confused staring. I need to stop having these conversations with myself.

"M-My name is Ax-Axel." I stutter. _Yes, smooth and confident._

He looks up from the work he was doing on my apparently sprained wrist (that also is amazingly painful), rubbing his _potion _on it and tightening the bandages to prevent too much movement. His eyes widen a fraction, like he had given up on expecting an answer, but they quickly revert back to their predatory sharpness. He simply goes back to his work, the furrow in his brow deepening.

"Thank you, Axel." He says quietly after a long moment of silence.

_...Weirdo._

He finishes my wrist and gently lays it back down in my lap where I dropped my knife. _When did I let it go?_

_I'm so tired._

He pulls my aching foot to him and begins inspecting the swollen ankle I rest limply against the tree. My eyelids feel like a bajillion pounds and I am faintly aware of him shifting into a more comfortable position before pulling my foot into his lap to dress whatever injuries I've got there. I don't even know anymore.

"What's your name?" I think to slur before I let the immense drowsiness overtake me, against my better judgment.

My eyes close, I have no choice.

"_... Link._"

* * *

She goes quiet for a long while and Link looks up to see that the strange girl has fallen asleep.

The strange, panicky, spacey, annoying girl.

_Axel_, he reminds himself.

Strange name.

Everything about her is just strange.

For the thousandth time, he finds himself second guessing himself, something he doesn't often do. What if he's wrong? What if she isn't the one?

… But she is. She has to be.

Despite her out of the ordinary round ears and unusual eyes and outlandish clothing and all around looking like she dropped out of another world…..

He can't afford to be wrong and go out searching again.

Hyrule can't afford him to be wrong.

* * *

**Please, if you have the time, drop me a review! It really makes my day when I know that people read my stories and care to see them continue.**

**I hope you are all having an awesome day! And even if you're not, I sincerely hope it somehow gets better. :) **

**-IAmTheStars**

**Oh, and please excuse any mistakes. It's 2am and editing is a bitch. If you notice anything wrong, then please (kindly) let me know! **


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